US planning on auctioning sea area for mining

The US government is auctioning deep-sea mining leases covering 13.4 million hectares around American Samoa, bypassing the UN International Seabed Authority and expediting permits for polymetallic nodule extraction despite environmental concerns and local opposition. If you supply minerals, magnets or EV batteries to US defence or manufacturers, your supply chain just shifted. The US is now mining its own deep seabed instead of relying on global markets or Chinese processors - which means new buyers, new quality standards and new cost structures within two to four years.